


Affection Starved

by Imogen_Lia



Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: Hannibal is manipulative, M/M, Will is touch starved, and Will lets it happen, short thing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-09
Updated: 2015-07-14
Packaged: 2018-03-17 03:12:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3513095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imogen_Lia/pseuds/Imogen_Lia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hannibal tries to manipulate Will into being more dependent on his touches and Will lets it happen because he is desperate for affection</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Will Graham craved affection. His father, although he tried, had not been the greatest at giving out hugs and kisses. More like occasional pats on the back. Occasionally an old lady had taken pity on Will when he was a boy and given him a warm hug or gentle pats on the cheek. But other kids hadn’t wanted to go near him and so poor Will grew up touched starved and alone.

He tried to deny it when he hit puberty. Convincing himself that he didn’t need other people’s touches in his life. Although it was easier when kids made fun of him or joked about him, sitting alone in his room rocking himself to sleep made it harder to convince himself. Not even the jocks had wanted to touch Will, teasing from afar but never getting too close to him.

As he grew older, people that would touch him would feel the immediate tension that shot through his body at the unexpected feeling; making them drop their hand and back off before Will could relax into the touch and enjoy it.

Of course, Will didn’t like just anyone invading his personal space. Jack Crawford’s attempt at arranging eye contact by fixing his glasses was entirely unwelcome. But Hannibal’s recent touches was something he was learning to enjoy. It hadn’t been a sudden thing, more a subtle development over the past few weeks. Hannibal placing a hand on Will’s shoulder when he stood close enough, reaching out to touch fingertips when passing a file over to Will, small things that Will and his touch starved nature noticed straight away. The doctor had even begun standing closer to Will at crime scenes. He thought Will didn’t know what he was doing, what game he was playing at, but Will was fully aware. Someone who was touched starved tended to notice when someone gave them more affection than normal.

And sad as it was that Will knew the doctor was trying to manipulate dependence on him by making him long for his touch, Will didn’t want it to stop. Touches were nice, especially Lecters’. The empath knew eventually that the Doctor would start withdrawing his touches but for the moment Will just let it happen. Basking in moments of warmth and pretending they didn’t have an underlying motive.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i have no idea where im going with this story

Even though Will had known it was coming it still hadn’t lessened the effect of Hannibal withdrawing his affections. Lingering fingers and shoulders brushes had become such a routine part of his life that when Hannibal withdrew from standing near Will and avoiding almost all physical contact with him, Will felt like there was an emptiness inside of him. 

Expected touches left him flinching when he was met with nothing. He felt startled when he would turn to Hannibal and find him standing further away from him than usual, or standing closer to someone else. Sometimes he didn’t even seem to be paying attention to Will when he talked to him. 

The first few days Will had tried to remind himself that it was all a part of Hannibal’s manipulations. That he needed to stop expecting Hannibal to touch and him and to stop feeling so empty when he didn’t. But after the first week had passed, Will grew desperate, not realising how used to affection from Hannibal he had become. 

He began to take action himself. Stepping closer to Hannibal at crime scenes, walking past him in their therapy sessions and brushing shoulders. When he handed him something or was passed something he let fingers reach out further to feel for Hannibal’s fingertips. 

If he was feeling bold he would walk so close to the doctor that their hands would brush. If he wasn’t feeling bold, Will would allow his dogs on the bed to keep him company during the night as he held himself under the covers. 

Hannibal took everything in stride, probably smiling smugly on the inside from his manipulations landing Will right in his hands. A part of Will, the stubborn part, told him to stop acting so desperate for the doctor’s affection. To remain steadfast in not needing other people. Another part, a much louder part, told him to practically beg Hannibal to touch him again, if only for a minute. 

Will sighed as he sat on the couch in front of the fire, Winston curled up beside him and his hands digging into the soft fur. Why did Hannibal have to make everything so difficult?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will has had enough of Hannibal's games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't updated in ages and I'm really sorry! Thank you for all the kudos. This hasn't been edited so I apologize for all the mistakes and sloppy writing.

Enough, Will though as he dressed and texted Alana asking if she would look after his dogs in the morning.  
Enough.

Maybe it was because of the particularly gruesome case that Jack had been making him work on as the FBI hadn’t been able to get a lead. Maybe it was the waking up at 3am for the third night in a row from nightmares sweaty and feverish. Or maybe it was the tumbler of whiskey he had after a cold shower, but whatever it was it had made him decide that enough was enough. Hannibal was going to touch him again.

Driving to Baltimore in an old truck with no heating in his threadbare pajamas in minus degrees weather had not been the best idea he had ever had. 

Maybe it will make Hannibal pity him more if he’s shaking from the cold. He arrived at Doctor Lecter’s mansion at 5am. The neighbourhood was still and quiet as Will pulled up on the drive way.

However, as he sat in his car parked outside Hannibal’s mansion, hesitation set in. Although Will knew that the older man was fond of mind games and his latest manipulative tactic was without a doubt meticulously planned to get Will to become more dependent on the doctor; a small part wondered if, perhaps, that desperation for affection part of him had assumed it was part of a larger plot? Perhaps the doctor thought Will just did not appreciate his touches and had stopped for Will’s comfort?

No, Will inwardly shook the thoughts off. This was no time for hesitation. This was time for action on his part even if it led him to fall deeper into Hannibal’s plans for him. Whatever they may be.

Knocking on the grand door to Hannibal’s mansion he is hit with a pang of guilt over waking up the other man at this hour. But decides he deserves it after what he put him through.

“Will?” Doctor Lecter wondered after opening the door. He was dressed in pajama bottoms that looked like silk and a crimson robe that was open slightly and giving Will a nice view of the man’s chest hair. He looked surprised to see Will, which meant he had not expected this outcome of said man.“Come in.”

Stepping in, Will shivered as he was hit with heat, the cold remaining outside. Hannibal closed and locked the door before guiding him into the salon. Will sat on the sofa as Hannibal disappeared into the kitchen. Reappearing shortly with two cups of warm cocoa. 

“What brings you to my home, Will?” the doctor inquired as he handed Will a cup and sat down beside him. Will noticed the unnecessary amount of distance that the older man had put between them. The younger man scooted closer to Hannibal and took a small sip of his cocoa. It was sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. Just the right temperature to warm the body but not burn the tongue.

“I, uh,” he said voice breaking. Clearing his throat he said, “I had a nightmare- well, several, but this was bad. And I needed grounding, and...your touch grounds me.”

He took another small sip of his cocoa.

“You, you’ve been playing mind games with me. Touching me more than others,” his face heated up a bit at saying those words aloud. “And then withdrawing. So I came here to ask you, ask if you could stop that and just touch me regularly again.”

His face flushed at his last words. Coughing to hide his embarrassment and sipping from the mug to avoid looking at the doctor. 

Trapped in his thoughts of embarrassment he did not notice the doctor putting his mug down on the table in front of them and reaching a hand forward to card through his hair. Although jumping at the initial touch, he slowly relaxed as Hannibal’s fingers sank through his hair and held him. Hannibal’s other hand reached up to draw Will closer to him so he was almost in his lap. Curled up next to Hannibal with a warm mug of cocoa in the man’s never seemingly cold home was not what Will had ever imagined becoming a reality, yet that is where he found himself. 

“I apologize Will if I caused you any distress with my actions,” the doctor’s soothing voice broke the silence. 

“Liar,” Will mumbled. Hannibal chuckled and pulled him onto his lap, placing Will’s mug on the table. 

“Hush,” he said pressing Will’s head to his chest where he could hear the man’s voice rumble from within. “It is late, would you like to stay the night?”

As if the words were magic, Will yawned and felt his eyes drooping. Fatigue from sleepless nights and work set in and he barely registered as Hannibal carried him up to a bed where he was held until he fell asleep.


End file.
